138 SPORT IN ABYSSINIA. 



Feb. 4. — This morning we really did make a 

 start, although we had great difficulty in getting 

 away, as we had fresh servants to look after the 

 donkeys, the new men did not know the nature 

 of the packages, and every donkey-load had to be 

 made out separately by Cassa. We did not go very 

 far this march, but camped near a little village called 

 Adikai. The people were very civil, and directly 

 the young chief, who was with us, told them to put up 

 a " das," they did so at once. The only little event 

 which rather disturbed the harmony of the scene was 

 one of the natives attempting to snatch away one of 

 our mechanias. I happened to see this, and, running 

 up to him, gave him a push that sent him clean head 

 over heels, and I told him to let our things alone ; 

 the people who were looking on all said that it 

 served him perfectly right. 



There was a wedding going on at this village — in 

 fact, I believe this was the time of year during which 

 most of the weddings in Ab}'ssinia take place — and 

 the arkees, or groomsmen, who during the week the 

 wedding is held go about the villages stealing what they 

 can lay hands on in order to give to the bridegroom, 

 came and danced before us. It was the same sort of 

 dance that our coolies had entertained us with on the 

 Mareb : one stepped forward and went through 

 various contortions, and then, at one part of the 



